Today, London lost one of its most loved fashion talents with the passing of Richard Nicoll. The women's and men's wear designer died of a heart attack this morning at the age of 39.

It's a great loss for London, where the spring/summer '17 runways were rife with ideas that Nicoll explored years before. Having tapped into athleisure before it was a global phenomenon, the 2009 ELLE Style Award winner is in part the man to thank for the enduring popularity of sport in fashion. In September 2012, for example, he showed a spring collection that would look just as relevant now with polished dresses and skirts made sporty with cotton mesh inserts, nylon parkas and sweatshirts. Two years later he created a limited edition collection for Sweaty Betty before taking a position as creative director at Jack Wills. And in a move that was perhaps the ultimate proof of his impact on the rise of sport in fashion, he was due to begin a position as creative director of Adidas in January.

Nicoll's passing is a tragic turn of events in what has been a time of change and transition for London's fashion industry, with many familiar and beloved brands no longer appearing on its Fashion Week calendar.

Here, the ELLE team remembers the man.

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Lorraine Candy, Editor in Chief

'Richard's warm nature and charming personality was extremely endearing. I have many happy memories of our easy-going evenings out and lovely conversations over dinner. He was a gentle man with wonderful manners and an entertaining sense of humour. London's designers will miss him greatly and he will be fondly remembered.'

Anne-Marie Curtis, Fashion Director

'Richard's untimely passing has shocked everyone who knew him. Not only was he an exceptionally talented designer whose vision contributed to the evolvement of British Fashion as an international player. And most importantly he was someone you were always delighted to see at an event or sit next to at dinner or just meet for tea. He was quite simply one of the nicest people in the business. Kind, funny, smart and, though deeply passionate about his craft and fashion, never took himself or it too seriously. He was always impeccably dressed, too, and charming to the core. He will be dearly missed by us all.'

Lara Ferros, Picture Editor

'I remember meeting Richard for the first time when he was a student at Central Saint Martins. I would hang out with him afterward with mutual school friends. I remember Louise Wilson hilariously shouting at him backstage at his graduate show, 'Richard!' She clearly believed in him and cared about his work. When I watched his career take off I was so happy he was being recognised for the incredible talent he had. This is a great loss for London.'